Mindfulness-based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly used within psycho-oncology. Since the publication of the most recent comprehensive meta-analysis on MBIs in cancer in 2012, the number of published trials has more than doubled. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), testing the efficacy of MBIs on measures of psychological distress (primary outcome) and other health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors. METHODS: Two authors conducted independent literature searches in electronic databases from first available date to 10 October 2018, selected eligible studies, extracted data for meta-analysis, and evaluated risk of bias. RESULTS: Twenty-nine independent RCTs (reported in 38 papers) with 3274 participants were included. Small and statistically significant pooled effects of MBIs on combined measures of psychological distress were found at post-intervention (Hedges's g = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.22-0.41; P < .001) and follow-up (g = 0.19; 95%CI: 0.07-0.30; P < .002). Statistically significant effects were also found at either post-intervention or follow-up for a range of self-reported secondary outcomes, including anxiety, depression, fear of cancer recurrence, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pain (g: 0.20 to 0.51; p: <.001 to.047). Larger effects of MBIs on psychological distress were found in studies (a) adhering to the original MBI manuals, (b) with younger patients, (c) with passive control conditions, and (d) shorter time to follow-up. Improvements in mindfulness skills were associated with greater reductions in psychological distress at post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: MBIs appear efficacious in reducing psychological distress and other symptoms in cancer patients and survivors. However, many of the effects were of small magnitude, suggesting a need for intervention optimization research.

The effect of experimental emotion induction on experimental pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: The idea that emotions can influence pain is generally recognized. However, a synthesis of the numerous individual experimental studies on this subject is lacking. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the existing evidence on the effect of experimental emotion induction on experimental pain in nonclinical adults. PsycInfo and PubMed were searched up until April 10, 2023, for studies assessing differences in self-reported pain between emotion induction groups and/or control groups or between conditions within group. Risk of bias was assessed for the individual studies. The literature search yielded 78 relevant records of 71 independent studies. When compared with control conditions, the pooled results revealed a statistically significant pain-attenuating effect of positive emotion induction (between-group: Hedges g = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.72; -0.25, K = 9; within-group: g = -0.24, 95% CI: -0.32; -0.15, K = 40), and a statistically significant pain-exacerbating effect of negative emotion induction in within-group analyses but not between-group analyses (between-group: g = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.66; 0.07, K = 10; within-group: g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06; 0.23, K = 39). Bayesian meta-analysis provided strong support for an effect of positive emotion induction but weak support for an effect of negative emotion induction. Taken together, the findings indicate a pain-attenuating effect of positive emotion induction, while the findings for negative emotion induction are less clear. The findings are discussed with reference to theoretical work emphasizing the role of motivational systems and distraction for pain. Limitations include considerable heterogeneity across studies limiting the generalizability of the findings.

Comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in head-to-head randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of equivalence.

BACKGROUND: While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recommended as first-line treatment for depression, a significant minority do not show an adequate treatment response. Despite evidence for the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Therapies (MBT) both in treating current depression and preventing relapse, it remains unknown whether MBT and CBT are equivalent in the treatment of current depression. METHODS: Five databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) directly comparing MBT with CBT and including depression as primary or secondary outcome. RESULTS: When pooling the results of 30 independent RCTs with a total of 2750 participants, MBT and CBT were statistically significantly equivalent at both post-intervention (Hedges's g = -0.009; p < .001) and follow-up (g = -0.033; p = .001). Supplementary Bayesian analyses provided further support for the alternative hypothesis of no difference between MBT and CBT. When exploring possible sources of heterogeneity, the differences at follow-up were smaller between CBT and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) than between CBT and mindfulness-based stress-reduction (MBSR) (Slope = 0.37;p = .022). CONCLUSION: The currently available evidence suggests that that MBT and CBT are equally efficacious in treating current adult depression. It remains unclear whether the similar effects of the two intervention types are due to different mechanisms or common factors.

Optimising psychological treatment for pain after breast cancer: a factorial design study protocol in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: One in five breast cancer (BC) survivors are affected by persistent pain years after completing primary treatment. While the efficacy of psychological interventions for BC-related pain has been documented in several meta-analyses, reported effect sizes are generally modest, pointing to a need for optimisation. Guided by the Multiphase Optimization Strategy, the present study aims to optimise psychological treatment for BC-related pain by identifying active treatment components in a full factorial design. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study uses a 2×3 factorial design, randomising 192 women with BC-related pain (18-75 years) to eight experimental conditions. The eight conditions consist of three contemporary cognitive-behavioural therapy components, namely: (1) mindful attention, (2) decentring, and (3) values and committed action. Each component is delivered in two sessions, and each participant will receive either zero, two, four or six sessions. Participants receiving two or three treatment components will be randomised to receive them in varying order. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (T1), session by session, every day for 6 days following the first session in each treatment component, at post-intervention (T2) and at 12-week follow-up (T3). Primary outcomes are pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale) and pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory interference subscale) from T1 to T2. Secondary outcomes are pain burden, pain quality, pain frequency, pain catastrophising, psychological distress, well-being and fear of cancer recurrence. Possible mediators include mindful attention, decentring, and pain acceptance and activity engagement. Possible moderators are treatment expectancy, treatment adherence, satisfaction with treatment and therapeutic alliance. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for the present study was received from the Central Denmark Region Committee on Health Research Ethics (no: 1-10-72-309-40). Findings will be made available to the study funders, care providers, patient organisations and other researchers at international conferences, and published in international, peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05444101).

Mediators of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies for anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies have shown efficacy in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Arguably, acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies target core processes in anxiety and depression by increasing mindful attention, decentering, and acceptance. The present study identified randomized controlled trials of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies for anxiety and depression. Specifically, we aimed to synthesize the indirect effect of the three putative mediators (i.e., mindful attention, decentering, acceptance) on anxiety and depression. Electronic searches yielded 4989 unique records, which were screened for eligibility by two independent raters, resulting in the identification of 33 eligible studies (30 independent trials). The overall pooled mediating effect of mindful attention, decentering, and acceptance was small to medium (r = 0.145, p < .001). Type of mediation analysis emerged as the only statistically significant moderator. Specifically, studies using correlation-based mediation approaches showed statistically significant mediating effects, while studies using causal time-lag analyses did not yield statistically significant mediating effects. Mediator specificity could not be established. In conclusion, putative mediators of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies mediated treatment effects on anxiety and depression. Limitations in study number, designs, and statistical approaches employed restrict conclusions regarding specificity and causality.

Group-based compassion-focused therapy for prolonged grief symptoms in adults - Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Prolonged grief disorder is a debilitating condition, which affects approximately one out of ten who lose a loved one. While existing meta-analyses have synthesized evidence regarding the overall effect of psychological interventions for pathological grief across different types of psychotherapy, it remains clinically relevant to explore whether specific types of psychological interventions are efficacious in the treatment of grief. The present study investigated the efficacy of group-based Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) for adults who had lost a spouse or a parent, and who reported clinically relevant levels of prolonged grief symptoms (PGS) at 11 months post-loss. A total of 82 participants were randomized to the CFT group (n = 42) or the waitlist control (n = 40). Time × group interactions showed no statistically significant effects of the intervention on the primary outcome PGS at post-intervention or 6-month follow-up. Likewise, no statistically significant effects were found for any of the secondary outcomes or process variables, with the exception of posttraumatic stress symptoms and self-reassurance. Taken together, in the present study group-based CFT did not emerge as an efficacious treatment for PGS. Possible explanations include that CFT may not target core maintaining processes in PGS and that the group-based, 8-week operationalization of CFT may be less than optimal.

Time elapsed since loss or grief persistency? Prevalence and predictors of ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder using different applications of the duration criterion.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged grief disorder (PGD), included in the ICD-11, encompasses a six-month duration criterion, but whether this covers 'time since loss' or 'grief persistency' is unclear. The study estimated prevalence and predictors of probable ICD-11 PGD using different applications of the duration criterion. METHODS: A register-sampled cohort of bereaved spouses completed self-report questionnaires at two (T1, N=847), six (T2, N=777), and eleven months (T3, N=753) post-loss. The duration criterion was operationalized as single-point PGD (meeting criteria minimally six months post-loss; T2 or T3) and dual-point PGD (meeting criteria at two assessments separated by months; T1+T2 or T2+T3). RESULTS: Single-point PGD prevalence rates (~15-20%) were significantly higher than dual-point prevalence rates (~10%). While single assessments of PGD varied between T2 and T3, the dual-point prevalence rates did not significantly differ. Early probable grief caseness emerged as the strongest predictor for later PGD. LIMITATIONS: Without a structured clinical interview, only probable cases of PGD were identified. Caseness relied on a diagnostic algorithm, created by mapping items from different self-report questionnaires. Time frames between assessments did not cover an entire six-month period. CONCLUSIONS: Momentarily assessed, six-month PGD symptomatology may represent a fluctuating, but remitting grief process for some individuals. Further research could test whether multiple diagnostic indicators during the first year of bereavement improve the identification of genuinely prolonged grief reactions.

Overweight and prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the association between overweight and outcome in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. We searched PubMed and Embase using variations of the search terms triple-negative breast cancer (population), overweight and/or obesity (exposure), and prognosis (outcome). Based on the World Health Organization guidelines for defining overweight, we included longitudinal observational studies, which utilized survival statistics with hazard ratios (HRs) in our analysis. The included studies measured body mass index at the time of diagnosis of TNBC and reported disease-free survival and/or overall survival. Study quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and study data were extracted using the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) checklist, independently by two authors. Random-effects models were used to combine the effect sizes (HRs), and the results were evaluated and adjusted for possible publication bias. Thirteen studies of 8,944 TNBC patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that overweight was associated with both shorter disease-free survival (HR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.09-1.46) and shorter overall survival (HR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.11c1.51) compared to normal-weight. Additionally, our Bayesian meta-analyses suggest that overweight individuals are 7.4 and 9.9 times more likely to have shorter disease-free survival and overall survival, respectively. In conclusion, the available data suggest that overweight is associated with shorter disease-free and overall survival among TNBC patients. The results should be interpreted with caution due to possible publication bias.

Are there gender differences in prolonged grief trajectories? A registry-sampled cohort study.

Research suggests variation in how grief develops across time, and gender may account for some of this variation. However, gender differences in growth patterns of the newly codified ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder (PGD) are unknown. This study examined gender-specific variances in grief trajectories in a registry-sampled cohort of 857 spousal bereaved individuals (69.8% female). Participants completed self-report questionnaires of PGD symptoms at 2, 6, and 11 months post-loss. Using Growth Mixture Modeling, four PGD trajectories emerged: resilient characterized by low symptoms (64.4%), moderate-stable characterized by moderate symptoms (20.4%), recovery characterized by elevated symptoms showing a decrease over time (8.4%), and prolonged grief characterized by continuous elevated symptoms (6.8%). Similar proportions of men and women comprised the four trajectories. Gender influenced the parameter estimates of the prolonged grief trajectory as men evidenced more baseline symptoms (higher intercept) than women did and a decreasing symptom-level (negative slope), while women showed symptom-increase over time (positive slope). The prolonged grief trajectory captured the largest proportion of probable PGD cases in both genders. Low optimism and low mental health predicted membership in this class. Altogether, the absolute majority of both men and women followed a low-symptom resilient trajectory. While a comparable minority followed a high-symptom prolonged grief trajectory, men and women within this trajectory expressed varying symptom development. Men expressed prolonged grief as an acute, decreasing reaction, whereas women showed an adjourned, mounting grief reaction. This study suggests that gender may influence symptom development in highly distressed individuals across early bereavement.

Comparison of proposed diagnostic criteria for pathological grief using a sample of elderly bereaved spouses in Denmark: Perspectives on future bereavement research.

BACKGROUND: A distinct grief-specific disorder is included in the ICD-11. Lack of clarity remains regarding whether different proposed diagnostic criteria capture similar or different diagnostic entities. Our aim was to examine the specificity of four proposed diagnostic criteria-sets for pathological grief in a population-based sample. METHODS: Participants were 206 conjugally bereaved elderly Danes (59% female; mean age = 72.5 years, SD = 4.2; range 65-81) who completed self-report questionnaires six months post-loss. The main measure was the Danish version of Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised. RESULTS: Results indicate substantial agreement between Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) and ICD-11-PGD (kappa's = 0.69-0.84), which found 6-9% of cases tested positive for pathological grief. Complicated Grief (CG) was partly in agreement with the three other symptom-diagnostic tests (kappa's = 0.13-0.20), and the prevalence-rate of pathological grief was 48%. LIMITATIONS: The low response-rate of 39%. The selective inclusion of data ≥6 months post-loss prevents a comparison of acute and prolonged grief reactions. Using self-reported data, not diagnostic interviews, challenges the validity of our findings. Using a sample of elderly people may limit the generalizability of our results to other age groups. CONCLUSION: We suggest that PGD, PCBD and ICD-11-PGD may be more discriminative in identifying a specific grief-related psychopathology, while CG may identify a broader set of grief reactions.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and Persistent Pain in Women Treated for Primary Breast Cancer: Exploring Possible Statistical Mediators: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate possible statistical mediators in a randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on pain intensity in women treated for primary breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 129 women treated for breast cancer, presenting with persistent pain, who were randomly assigned to MBCT or a wait-list control. We previously reported a statistically significant and robust effect of MBCT on pain intensity (11-point numeric rating scale), which was included as the primary outcome. The proposed mediators were mindfulness (the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), self-compassion (the Short-Form Self-Compassion Scale), and pain catastrophizing (the Pain Catastrophizing Scale). Measurement points included baseline (T1), postintervention (T2), and 3- (T3) and 6-month (T4) follow-ups. All indirect effects of the mediators were tested in separate Multilevel Models, using the product-of-coefficients approach with bias-corrected confidence intervals (95% BSCI). The statistically significant mediators were then included in a multiple mediator model. RESULTS: Statistically significant indirect effects were found for mindfulness nonreactivity (B=-0.17, BSCI [-0.32 to -0.04]) and pain catastrophizing (B=-0.76, BSCI [-1.25 to -0.47]). No statistically significant indirect effect was found for self-compassion (B=-0.09, BSCI [-0.30 to 0.04]). In a multiple mediator model, including mindfulness nonreactivity and pain catastrophizing, only pain catastrophizing remained statistically significant (B=-0.72, BSCI [-1.19 to -0.33]), explaining 78% of the effect. DISCUSSION: The results of the present study may have clinical implications. An increased focus on the proposed mediators may optimize the clinical use of MBCT for persistent pain in women treated for breast cancer.

Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Late Post-Treatment Pain in Women Treated for Primary Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for late post-treatment pain in women treated for primary breast cancer. METHODS: A randomized wait list-controlled trial was conducted with 129 women treated for breast cancer reporting post-treatment pain (score ≥ 3 on pain intensity or pain burden assessed with 10-point numeric rating scales). Participants were randomly assigned to a manualized 8-week MBCT program or a wait-list control group. Pain was the primary outcome and was assessed with the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (SF-MPQ-2), the Present Pain Intensity subscale (the McGill Pain Questionnaire), and perceived pain intensity and pain burden (numeric rating scales). Secondary outcomes were quality of life (World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index), psychological distress (the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale), and self-reported use of pain medication. All outcome measures were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Treatment effects were evaluated with mixed linear models. RESULTS: Statistically significant time × group interactions were found for pain intensity (d = 0.61; P = .002), the Present Pain Intensity subscale (d = 0.26; P = .026), the SF-MPQ-2 neuropathic pain subscale (d = 0.24; P = .036), and SF-MPQ-2 total scores (d = 0.23; P = .036). Only pain intensity remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Statistically significant effects were also observed for quality of life (d = 0.42; P = .028) and nonprescription pain medication use (d = 0.40; P = .038). None of the remaining outcomes reached statistical significance. CONCLUSION: MBCT showed a statistically significant, robust, and durable effect on pain intensity, indicating that MBCT may be an efficacious pain rehabilitation strategy for women treated for breast cancer. In addition, the effect on neuropathic pain, a pain type reported by women treated for breast cancer, further suggests the potential of MBCT but should be considered preliminary.

Do postoperative psychotherapeutic interventions and support groups influence weight loss following bariatric surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and nonrandomized trials.

Bariatric surgery is currently considered the most effective treatment of severe obesity, but considerable individual variations in weight loss results have been reported. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the effect of psychotherapeutic interventions and support groups on weight loss following bariatric surgery. A literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed and PsycINFO, identifying nine eligible studies reporting results of the effect of psychotherapeutic interventions and support groups on weight loss following bariatric surgery. The results revealed a statistically significant overall effect of both psychotherapeutic interventions and support groups on weight loss (pooled effect size correlation (ESr) = 0.18; p < 0.0001). When comparing the effect sizes of psychotherapeutic interventions and support groups, no difference was found (p = 0.51). Higher quality studies had smaller effect sizes (0.16) than studies with low quality scores (0.22), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.26). Patients attending psychotherapeutic interventions or support groups in combination with bariatric surgery appeared to experience greater weight loss results than patients treated with bariatric surgery only. However, research in this area is characterized by a lack of methodological rigor, and it is recommended that future study designs include randomization and active attention control conditions.